Office of Civic Investment

City of Beaufort Civic Master Plan

LOCATION: Beaufort, South Carolina

CLIENT: Office of Civic Investment, City of Beaufort

DATE: 2010 - 2011

DESCRIPTION: Naomi served as a member of Beaufort's Office of Civic Investment interdisciplinary team from late 2010 through 2011. The Office of Civic Investment was formed by the City Council to provide professional support to the Redevelopment Commission during the creation of a Civic Master Plan and to manage cross-department and cross-agency redevelopment projects. The purpose of the Civic Master Plan is to identify and prioritize the allocation for public investment in the City of Beaufort’s infrastructure. In the context of this plan, “infrastructure” means the utility, public service and transportation systems that provide essential services, as well as the network of open spaces, institutional buildings, and natural areas – including plazas, parks, museums, schools and greenways – that complete the city’s public realm.

Under the direction of the Redevelopment Commission, the Office of Civic Investment coordinated the Civic Master Plan process to develop a detailed plan for public investment based on the framework adopted in the Comprehensive Plan. The intention was to avoid generic “place-less” development in favor of sustainable development that is unique to Beaufort. This initiative recognized that each of the city’s neighborhoods contains its own unique history, character, and physical attributes which should be respected and emphasized in future development. To view the final document, click here.

In October 2014, the Beaufort Civic Master Plan was awarded an Outstanding Planning Project Award from the South Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association for "the innovation, quality and transferability" of the plan. Read more about the award in the press release.